Intersection
by JerichoSteele
Summary: Kensi and Deeks are at a crossroads. They know what they want but can they still have it? This is my take on what could happen when they awaken after getting blown up in Mexico. It will be dark ... you've been warned.
1. Chapter 1

**Cursum Perficio**

...

The water of the Pacific Ocean under Deeks' surfboard warmed his legs as he floated casually on the evening tide. His hair was slicked with salt water as a soft breeze picked up and pushed him gently to his left. An orange sun sank slowly behind the horizon and the detective was content to just watch as another glorious California day came to a gentle close.

This was a part of his life he loved: the water, his board, and a beautiful sunset. If he could freeze this moment in time, he would stop it right then and there, living in this moment forever. A few seagulls chattered overhead and he glanced up to see two or three swirling and dipping as they rode the wind that the thermal currents were creating.

He was so lost in thinking about absolutely nothing that he failed to notice another surfer easing up behind him, their board silent as it glided across the smooth water's surface. When they were almost close enough to touch him, Deeks turned suddenly only to flinch when warm water splattered across his face and chest.

"Wow! You were really out of it if I could sneak up on you so easily!" Kensi tried to splash him again, but he caught her left ankle and tugged her board over to his, threatening to dump them both.

"The jungle cat is never unaware …" When he saw her smirk, he chuckled. "… well, most of the time anyway."

Kensi slipped off her board, careful not to tangle her ankle tether, and eased herself onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and nuzzling into his neck. "Thank you for this … it was the perfect ending to a crazy week."

Feeling himself warming up in her embrace, he let his hands drop down her back, sliding across the exposed skin that her bikini did not cover and reveled in the goosebumps that suddenly developed at his touch. " _This …_ is the perfecting ending to any week."

"You're such a smooze." Kensi pinched his bare side.

Deeks pulled away slightly but only held her tighter. "Yeah, but you _love_ this smooze."

Easing back so she could look at his face, Kensi nodded as she leaned in.

"Yep … _definitely_." Then her lips were on his and he forgot all about the sunset, the seagulls, or anything else as she took his breath away. The kiss was gentle at first then it slowly grew into a very heated exchange as her tongue sought entrance that he quickly granted. It went on until breathing became an issue and they had to pause and regroup before they did actually fall off their boards.

Letting their foreheads touch as they brought their panted breaths under control, Deeks ran his cheek across her wet hair. "Why doesn't that ever get old?"

"What?" Kensi wasn't sure what he meant.

"Kissing you." He tilted his head so he could look into her mismatched eyes.

"No matter where or why … each time we kiss, it's like it's the first time all over again."

Kensi's breath caught in her lungs as she caught the look of pure adoration in his Pacific blue eyes and she couldn't help but pinch him again. "See … _smooze_."

Then she was kissing him once more and if they were not sitting on their surfboards with their legs in the water, they probably would have combusted right there. With one final peck, Kensi slid back onto her own board and started to steer back toward shore. "Come on, _Loverboy_ … we need to head in if we're gonna make those dinner reservations."

"Ugh. Just when we start having fun … we have to feed the beast that lives behind your belly-button."

Kensi kicked her leg in an attempt to splash him again but she had moved too far out of range. "You're the one who wanted to try that new Thai place down by the pier, so don't tempt the beast if you're not going to feed it!" She was laughing as she paddled further and further away.

Deeks chuckled along with her as he lay on his stomach to follow her in. He did not mind trailing behind her because at this angel when she passed in front of him in that black swimsuit… well, it was quite a view. He dug deep into the water while he glanced over his shoulder once more as the sky overhead turned into a rich shade of peach mixed with a touch of orange.

But when he turned forward, Kensi was a good distance out in front … and the distance was growing. Deciding that he was not going to allow her to leave him so far behind, Deeks pressed forward on his board and stretched his arms even deeper into the water to add to his speed.

But nothing changed.

Kensi continued to outdistance him as he seemed to be stuck in place. At first, he thought it was simply his imagination or a mirage generated by the glassy water combined with the heat waves dancing in the air, but the more effort he spent, the less he moved. Shaking his head in confusion, Deeks stopped moving his arms and tried to understand what was happening.

Up ahead, he saw Kensi look back over her shoulder. "Come on, baby, don't go … stay with me!"

What she said did not make much sense but he cast it aside, digging in once more with everything he could muster, Deeks grunted with the effort, feeling the muscles of his arms and shoulders begin to burn as they tried in vain to give him any propulsion. Kensi sat up on her board to watch as he vainly tried to generate any movement. Then she began to shrink, growing smaller and smaller, her voice growing more and more frantic as it grew faint. "Not like this, Marty … _please_ … not like this!"

He realizes then that not only was his efforts in movement fruitless, he was actually getting dragged _backwards_. Deeks looked to his side and the ocean was moving past him but in the wrong direction as his speed increased, making him feel like he was attached to unseen line hooked to some invisible boat that was pulling him further out into the sea.

"Deeks! Please Baby!" Kensi's shout of his name was muffled, as if she was a great distance away. "Don't leave me!"

He tried to call out to her, but his mouth is dry and his throat burns he desperately tried to make any noise at all. As he continues to accelerate backwards, his frantic attempts to slow down are all in vain so he decides to just slip into the water, but he finds that his body will not obey and remains firmly planted on the board. He cuts his eye back to where he last could see Kensi and finds that she is no more than a simple dot on the horizon and then she's gone but strangely, he can still hear her calling out to him as if she is somewhere close by.

"Oh God! Baby … please … no …"

Deeks looks around hoping that she is right by his side, where she belongs but all he can see, from horizon to horizon is empty ocean. No land. No waves. Nothing but smooth water all around him. Once more, he tries to call out, but only a choked sob escapes his lips.

Then the world began to turn dark. Not the dark where the sun slowly slips over the edge of the world and the light fads but the kind where everything fades until there is nothing left. Realizing that he has only one option remaining and since his board seems to be betraying him, Deeks hopped to his feet and with one final look around, dove into the darkness.

 _tbc_

...

 **A/N: Yeah. I am still here. This is an attempt to break the writer's block that has kept me stifled for the past year or so. I am not sure how many chapters this little story will contain but it just something that jumped in my brain at the end of the last season. I wanted to go in a totally different direction than most of the other summer stories that are trying to rectify the Kensi/Deeks strained relationship … I just hope you will be kind.**

 **Basic translation of** ** _Cursum Perficio_** **(latin): "I finish the course" from the album, WATERMARK by Enya.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Verbum Sapienti**

...

Something was burning.

It smelled like old rubber mixed with oil and it stung Kensi's mouth as she gulped in the contaminated air. Her head was still spinning from the explosion and when she cracked open one eye, the world was turned on its side. White-gray smoke wafted through the destroyed windshield in front of her and she could make out the flames that were licking their way from the engine compartment. She could feel the heat on her face as the fire crawled closer and closer to where she was hanging from her seat-belt.

Someone coughed and gagged from behind her, Kensi thought it sounded like Callen but she was not sure because her ears were still ringing from the concussive blast. Even though her entire body was screaming in pain, she slowly turned her head to check the status of the rest of the vehicle's occupants.

Her heart clenched in her throat at the image that befell her eyes. Deeks was crumpled against the top edge of the door frame and the roof of the vehicle with Sam pressed into his shoulder and neither of them were moving. She could not even tell if they were breathing. She tried to call out to her ... well, her fiancé but the razor blades cutting the inside of the throat would not let her utter more than a strangled gurgle. Swallowing the pain, she managed to choke out a broken cry.

"Deeks?"

He did not move or make a sound. Kensi went to call out again when Callen's muffled voice came from behind her seat. "Can you get free, Kensi?" He was in pain, she could hear it in way he gritted his teeth without actually seeing him do it.

She went to move her right arm, but a lightning flash of pain in her forearm made her hiss and stop that movement. It was either broken or severely bruised but she would worry about that later. Right now, she needed to get free so she could get to him. "Give ... me ... a sec ..." Her left arm actually moved fairly pain free and she was able to grasp the release for the belt. She shifted her hips in order to brace against the center console so she would not tumble against the bodies of her friends. With a quick push with her thumb, she was free but had to suck in a breath when hot knives shot between her ribs. "Ohhhh ... _God_."

Callen moved around behind her until his head appeared over her right shoulder. "You okay?"

"My ... my ribs ...

His hand reached up to support her shoulder as he moved closer. "Broken or bruised?"

Kensi took a deep breath and when the pain remained steady, gave him a shaky reply. "Bruised ... I think."

Callen gave her a gentle pat then turned his attention to the men laying below them. His left side had taken most of the impact when the vehicle had flipped, his and Sam's bodies colliding together in the back seat then he hit the door. There was blood seeping from the wound on his partner's thigh and the big man still had not moved. Maneuvering in the limited space, he leaned in close to call out. "Sam! Hey, Sam ... you here?" The was a moment of silence then a soft grunt. "Come on man, we've got to get out of here."

Sam took a deep breath and rolled onto his back against the broken door panel. "Oh man." He shook his head to clear some of the cobwebs and the haze, letting the blurry form of his friend coalesce into a clearer vision. "Well, that was fun."

Callen let out the breath he had not realized he was holding, relaxing as his partner managed to grin up at him. The smell of the burning vehicle pulled him back into the present. "We've got to move ... the cars on fire."

That comment snapped Sam even more awake but he let out a loud groan when he tried to move his wounded leg. "Arrrggghh … I'm gonna need some help getting out …"

Callen braced his feet against the seat brackets so he could survey their current predicament. The front of the SUV was destroyed and the flames were growing in intensity, fueled by the oil and remaining fuel. There was too much twisted metal and glass to make any attempt of escape that direction. Pivoting to inspect the rear, he was glad to see that the flames in the back were subsiding as they consumed whatever flammable materials remained.

Through the gray-white smoke, the team leader could see that the rear door, along with the window had been ripped apart, leaving a mostly open pathway out the back. There was just the rear seat, the side panels that had been blown loose and the fire that was consuming the plastic and carpet from the rear cargo area. Not much better but if he could smother the flames, they should be able to scramble out that way.

That is, if they were all mobile. If one or more were dead-weight, this was about to get ugly.

Making up his mind in second, Callen called out to the rest of his team. "Out the back … it's the only way out without having to climb out the doors." Leaning over, he yanked hard on the ripped seat until a large chunk of fabric tore free. He then used it to smother the flames until all that remained were small wisps of smoke that posed no real danger. Hearing a grunt from below his feet, Callen looked down to see his partner trying to lift himself from off of Deeks.

Deeks, who still had not moved on his own or shown any signs of regaining consciousness.

Callen clamored down until he could reach under Sam's arms and tug him into the cargo area. He choked a little on the smoke but pulled until his arms felt like they were about to pop out of their sockets.

Using his one good leg, Sam timed his movements with the man tugging him across the seat until they both fell into the back of the burning SUV. They moved together, inching along until they began to clear the vehicle. Just before Callen pulled him free, Sam saw one of their M4's tangled in one of the rear seat-belts and he grabbed it, hoping that it would still function. They pushed and pulled in tandem until they were clear and Callen eased him against a thick bush before turning back to the burning vehicle.

"I'm going back for Kensi and Deeks!"

Sam finished checking the weapon, relieved that the bolt cycled and the magazine was intact and full. If they had to fight, at least they had the option of defending themselves, for a short time at least. He watched as Callen limped over and reentered the rear as more smoke and flames consumed the engine compartment. The big SEAL just hoped that the younger members of his team would make it out and they would, by some miracle, survive this mess alive. This had been a bad call from the beginning with no real prep and absolutely no back-up in case … well, in case this happened. Saving Mosley's son had been the mission but jumping into it on foreign soil with no real threat to the boy's life, made him wonder how this could have been handled in a much better and professional way.

He did not have the time nor the inclination to armchair-general the situation at the moment, but rest assured, when they made it out of this fiasco, there would be one helluva debrief. Scanning the road that he could see, Sam knew that danger was close and they had to move, he just hoped they would have the time. As he watched, the smoke obscured his view of the SUV and he stopped himself from calling out. If any of the soldiers were close, he did not want to let them know his position or that any of them were conscious … it might give them an advantage when the moment came.

Callen climbed over the rear seat and saw that Kensi had managed to move down and was assessing her partner and fiance. When she looked up at the older agent, her mismatched eyes were filled with a look that despite all of their close calls and brushes with death, he had never seen that look on her face. It was absolute terror. Her hands were shaking as she grabbed Deeks' vest and tried to pull him off the metal and broken glass.

"Come on, baby … we've got to go."

The blonde detective remained motionless.

Callen grabbed her forearm as gently as he could, stopping her movements. "Easy, Kensi … let me get under him and we can go out the back."

Kensi started to yank free from her friend's grip, but she saw the determination in his eyes and knew that time was limited. She nodded as she moved to kneel beside Deeks so she could help turn him while Callen began to pull him toward the rear of the vehicle. Her ribs screamed with a burning pain but she choked it down as she tugged her lover's legs across the destroyed interior, moving them closer and closer to fresh air.

For what felt like hours, she and Callen crawled on their knees, working together until they finally cleared the wreckage. Forgetting her bruised ribs, Kensi took a deep breath until the stabbing pain stopped her but at least they were out of the SUV. Now that she could see him better, Deeks looked worse than she could have imagined. There was blood coming from his nose and his ears, his skin looked … _off_ … like it was a shade too light and his breathing was rapid and shallow. Grabbing his wrist, she was first elated that there was a pulse but it was too fast and weak.

Something was wrong.

Bad wrong.

They reached Sam who was sitting up, watching the road ahead of them, covering it with his rifle. It dawned on her then that that was the only weapon that she could see among the team. Callen must have had the same epiphany at that moment, as he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "I'll go see if there's anything else … "

The explosion was deafening. It had been a matter of seconds and if any of them had been inside, they would be dead now.

"Came from that direction." Callen felt Sam tugging on his leg and then he pointed where the road disappeared over the hill. He could just make out the fading trail of another rocket propelled grenade, just like the one that had been fired at them earlier. That meant the general's men were closing in and they were in no condition to put up much resistance. In milliseconds, the former CIA agent's mind ran through every available option until he found one that would give them a chance at escape.

"Move into the brush!" Callen hissed as he snapped off a limb from the small tree next to Sam who was already trying to help Kensi move Deeks. "It'll take them time to discover we aren't in there and if we're lucky … the calvary will get here before they track us."

While their team leader quickly used the limb to erase their tracks in the dirt, Sam and Kensi dragged Deeks' limp body slowly off the side of the road, obscuring them from view. The large agent's leg was still bleeding but he had staunched some of the flow with a hasty pressure dressing, using a scrap of torn shirt. Kensi had barely taken her eyes from her lover's form, anxious that he would at least groan as the rocks and dried sticks scratched at his skin. The longer he went with no signs of regaining consciousness, the more serious his injuries would have to be. They reached a small, dried creek bed and Sam tumbled backwards, landing hard on his one good leg.

When she heard her friend grunt in pain, she finally looked away from Deeks. "Sam …"

Rolling up onto one knee, Sam gave her, what he hoped was a reassuring smirk. "I … I'm good … Kensi, just landed on my ass." It was a lie; his injured leg was throbbing and he kept getting light-headed … which probably meant he was losing too much blood. He gave up trying to stand and simply laid down on his side beside the unmoving detective. "Go help Callen, I'll watch over Deeks." When he saw her begin to resist, he reached out to lay a supportive hand on her trembling one. "We aren't going anywhere and you'll be right back … go."

Kensi felt her heart tug in her chest, torn between her duty and her love. For a moment everything froze moving around her as time stopped. There, right at her feet was exactly what Deeks had been warning her about for months: the choice that one of them would have to make one day, the job or the other. If the situation was not as dire, she probably would have laughed at the irony and the absurdity of it all.

One one hand, she had her entire world wrapped up in the man who had her heart and always would and then there was the part of her that knew that her actions in the next few moments might save him. It was one of the fates' way of showing her once again, that sometimes there is no 'right' decision, no way to see what each path would lead her down and what the end result would be. There was only what she could do in this moment and at this moment, she would do everything in her power to get them all out of this mess.

And so help her God, of any of them did not make it home, especially the love of her life … there was no power on this earth like the wrath of one Kensi Marie Blye. Giving Sam a quick nod, she turned and slipped back up the bank and quickly disappeared into the bush.

With Kensi out of the way, Sam began a detailed examination of Deeks' injuries. The man's pulse was still thready and rapid … not good at all … and his color had only grown paler since they had left the roadside. He removed the man's assault vest and after palpitating the man's chest and abdomen, found no indications of any serious injury.

But when he went to check Deeks' head, Sam moved the sweaty blonde hair to the side, there was a visible depression behind the left ear. Looking at his face, he noted the blood coming from his nose and ears was a deep red, prompting him to tug open his right eyelid. The pupil responded as it should, shrinking when exposed to the bright overhead sun.

But when he opened Deeks' left eye with his hands trembling, he let out a soft curse as the pupil remained open, completely fixed and dilated.

"Dammit, Deeks."

...

 **A/N: _Verbum Sapienti_ translates as "a word to the wise".**


	3. Chapter 3

**Quo Plus Habent**

 **…**

The darkness of the water suddenly turned lighter and Deeks could feel sand beneath his feet. When he pushed down with his legs, he stood upright; breaking the surface and the bright sunshine caused him to blink his eyes against the light. He was now standing at the edge of the surf, only a few yards away from the beach with soft waves breaking against the white sand and pushing him gently forward. Shaking the water from his eyes and moving his hair from his face, he saw that there was a small crowd standing in a small semicircle, seemingly waiting for something.

Or someone.

Deciding to just investigate exactly what was happening, Deeks sloshed through the water, moving closer and closer to the edge of the breaking waves. After a moment, he found himself standing on clear sand and he was no longer wearing just his regular board-shorts, but now had on a pair of thin-weave, cotton pants. On his feet were a pair of simple, brown leather sandals and he was wearing a loose fitting, white cotton shirt. It was a fine outfit for strolling along the beach in Tahiti or Hawaii or wherever he was at the moment but as there were no familiar land marks to identify his exact location, he had no idea where he could possibly be.

Deciding to ask the small crowd, the lanky detective walked across the warm sand was just about to call out to the closest person when the person suddenly turned. It was an energetic Eric Beale, wearing a similar outfit. The young tech's eyes lit up and he reached out to catch Deeks' arm/ "There you are! We were starting to get worried!"

Eric was excited about something, about what, Deeks had no idea. "We? Who's _we_?"

But when he took a moment to actually look at the people assembled on the beach, he found some very familiar faces. There was Nell, who stepped up and tool Eric's other hand. Then he spotted some old friends from his old high school, along with Ray and his little family. Deeks wanted to stop and chat but both Eric and Nell were tugging him through the crowd so fast that he was having a hard time staying on his feet.

The faces all became a blur be he was sure he saw Captain Bates and some of the guys and gals from the LAPD, dressed smartly in their uniforms despite the casualness of the rest of the assembly. As they neared the front of the crowd, he caught sight of his mother and her beau standing next to Hetty and Granger but he was whisked by before anyone could do anything other than smile back at him.

He was spun in place a few feet in front of everyone and when he turned, he saw Kensi's mother and father standing side by side, holding hands. Deeks tried desperately to say anything but no words came from his lips nor had anyone else spoke since Eric's frantic greeting. He wanted to ask what in the world was happening, why were they standing on the beach, why was Kensi's dad here?

Finally, his voice found itself and he screamed out, "Would somebody … anybody … please tell me what the hell we are doing?!"

Everyone just smiled back at him, revealing nothing. He called out to them again, louder this time but received nothing but the same response in return. Taking a step toward his mother, he thought that at least his own mother would say something. Just as he made his move, everyone turned away from him, leaving him staring at their backs. This was really starting to piss him off.

But when he looked to see what had caught everyone else's attention, his anger quickly turned to joy.

Kensi was cresting a small sand dune several yards behind the congregation, her movements slow but purposeful. Her long, dark hair, normally worn loose around her shoulders, was pulled up into a tight weave of braids across the top of her head, making her look majestic and regal. There were small white flowers adorning the braids, adding an almost child-like playfulness to her appearance, making Deeks' heart skip in his chest. Her makeup accentuated her natural beauty and her dark eyes, which were locked on him as she continued to close the distance. Her dress, that hugged her body like it was a part of it, was a flowing wave of white lace that danced when caught by the ocean breeze.

She was absolutely _glorious_.

Deeks wanted to run to her, catch her up in his arms and kiss her until the stars fell from the sky but he remained where he was as she moved closer and closer. Her smile was as radiant as the sun and he simply forgot about everyone and everything else, letting her become his entire world. In that moment, they were alone on the beach, lost in their loving gazes, content to simply _be_.

As she drew closer, Deeks could see tears tracks on her cheeks and his own eyes were moist, ready to release their own. He reached out to touch her but she passed him by, his hands grasping nothing but air. His mind told his feet to move, to fall into step along with her, but he remained in place as Kensi simply slipped by, walking on past as if he was not there at all.

"Kens?" Calling out softly to her, Deeks hoped that this was just her being silly at the last moment, but she gave no indication that she had seen nor heard him, continuing on her path away from him.

"Kensi!" He was growing frantic now the further she moved away, walking further and further down the beach. She was leaving him behind and he was powerless to make any move to stop her.

"KENSI!" Deeks called out as loud as he could, his throat burning with the effort. "Please, baby … come back!"

Nothing changed.

Kensi continued to move along the sand, as if he did not exist anymore.

Deeks looked quickly over his shoulder, hoping that maybe he would receive some sort of help from anyone in the group standing on the beach. But he now found himself all alone on the sand; all of his friends and family were gone, disappeared like the morning mist. Spinning quickly to find Kensi once more, he found her almost out of sight, edging closer and closer to disappearing over another sand dune.

"No baby … don't go … please …" He was begging now and he felt no shame. The love of his life was walking away from him and he was powerless to stop her. "I can't do this alone … come back … please …"

And then, she was gone.

Deeks' heart thumped in his chest, burning with a consuming flame that moved to every part of him. His head throbbed and his vision became blurry as it became harder and harder to keep his eyes open against the brightness of the sun. It felt like someone had hit him with a hammer behind his left ear, the pain becoming more and more intense, making him want to scream.

Until it finally stopped and the bright light winked out, replaced by a cold darkness.

 _…_

 **A/N:** ** _Quo Plus Habent_** **translates to "the more people have".**

 **I really hope that you are enjoying this attempt to get the writing flowing again.**

 **Thanks for all the great reviews and the support.**

 ** **Semper Fi****

 ** **JS****


	4. Chapter 4

Eo Plus Cupiunt

…

Kensi rushed through the rough terrain as quickly and quietly as she could. There were tear tracks on her cheeks and she brushed them away with the back of a grimy hand, leaving brown streaks behind. She knew that she had left Deeks for the right reasons – help Callen, protect Deeks and Sam, kill the bastards that did this – but her heart was still pained in her chest, aching for some relief from this hell.

Maybe she should have jumped on the helicopter but she would have worried herself sick over the boys and her fiancé until she knew they were safe. Maybe she should have walked out with Deeks when Mosley fired him but she had been too stunned to fully process the situation to make any clear decision. Maybe she should have stopped arguing with Deeks about what their future would look like and simply loved him for all that he was while he was standing in that parking garage, looking like his heart had just been ripped from his chest.

Maybe.

Maybe they would all survive this little excursion fairly unscathed. Maybe they would all end up sitting in _their_ bar, drinking stale beer and laughing about the 'Trojan Horse' plan that Deeks came up with on the fly. Maybe there were wedding bells and little mutant ninjas in her future. Maybe she would hang up her pistols before the fates stepped in and yanked her dreams away from her hands.

Maybe.

There were always too many 'maybes' and that would do none of them any good at the moment. Snapping herself back to the here and now, Kensi ducked under a low tree limb to come upon Callen as he backed his way toward her, raking the ground with the tree limb, erasing their tracks.

He turned when he sensed her presence, his steel-gray eyes tired but still sharp. "That should buy us a little time … if we can move further into the foothills, they may not follow right away."

Kensi nodded. "Lots of places to set up an ambush … even though we don't have many weapons."

Callen tugged his pistol from the holster on his thigh, ejected the mag to see how many rounds he had left. "I've got ten left and one full mag … that makes twenty five rounds for me."

Kensi dropped her hand to her own holster and winced when her arm brushed against her bruised ribs. She looked down instead and saw that her holster was empty, her sidearm probably part of the burning wreck that had been their escape vehicle. "Dammit!"

Seeing no point in pointing out that their chances of any type of resistance were becoming less and less, Callen simply nodded over her shoulder. "Let's get back to the others and take stock of what we have."

Focusing on the moment, Kensi turned in step with her team leader. "Sam grabbed an M4 … I have two mags left in my vest … we might be able to put up a good fight if we get cornered."

Callen thought back to the number of men he had seen standing with the General on the other side of the bridge. There had been four men on his left and five on his right, counting the one with the rocket launcher. There were three more standing next to the hummer on the left and two standing in the back of the 6x6 transport truck off behind everyone. Adding all that up, he came up with fourteen, but he was pretty sure there were probably more sitting in the vehicles or otherwise out of direct observation from his vantage point. Adding a small percentage to the first count, Callen was not happy about the final total.

To his surprise, apparently Kensi had been doing the same in her own head. "With the ones we could see and the ones we couldn't … we are looking at maybe … eighteen to twenty, maybe a few more."

"Yeah, sounds about right."

Kensi knew they were nearing the spot where she had left Deeks and Sam, so she spoke quickly. "And Sam is bleeding badly and Deeks is … is …" She found that she could not finish her thought and was not sure why. Before she could step out of the brush and down into the creek bed, she felt Callen's hand grip her gently on the shoulder.

"We are all going home, Kensi … you have my word."

 _But will we all be alive or will some or all of us end up in a body bag._ Being the daughter of a Marine had taught her to simplify thoughts into their basic parts. The situation was dire, they were all wounded to some degree or another, the force coming after them was larger and better armed, their transport was burning just up the road … and they had no back-up coming.

They were on their own.

Instead of voicing her concerns, Kensi just nodded and slid down the bank to where Sam was leaning over her still unconscious lover and future husband. She instantly dropped to her knees at his side, clasping his cool hand in her own. "Hey baby … I'm back." He did not move or make a sound but lay as still as a stone.

Sam rocked over to his side so he could look up at Callen who was watching and listening for any signs of their pursuers. "Think they'll find our trail?"

"If they don't have dogs …" Callen handed down the remaining magazine for the assault rifle, keeping his pistol at the ready. "… the ground was pretty rough and hard ... it was easy to rub them out, so maybe we can make it to those hills before they discover which direction we took." The team leader took a moment to look down at his partner then over to Deeks' unconscious form. Neither man looked good but to be honest, from the state of the detective, they needed to get him to a trauma center and as fast as yesterday. "You good to move?"

Sam unclipped the M4 from across his chest, setting it next to Kensi, and then held up his hands. "Help me onto my feet and we can drag Deeks between us … Kensi should take the rifle."

Callen patted the concerned woman on her shoulder. "Kensi, you're on point. Get us to those hills as fast as you can."

Kensi did not move or give any indication that she had heard what he said. Her hands were clasped, holding tightly to Deeks' left hand, her body beginning to quiver.

"Kensi!" Callen's emphatic call snapped her out of it and she turned tear filled eyes up to burn holes in his gray orbs. "We need you here. _Deeks_ … needs you here. We have to move to those hills. Lead us there."

Years of training and learning to compartmentalize her emotions allowed Agent Blye to snap out of fog that was threatening to envelope her and rob the team of one more member. Setting Deeks' hand gently down to his chest, she took up the rifle by her side, slid the bolt back to check the round in the chamber, ejected the mag, tapped its spine against the butt of the gun then reinserted into the magazine well. After one last glance down at the man she loved, she gave a quick nod and eased to her feet, stepping off in the indicated direction. She stopped after about five meters, to turn and cover her teammates as they hoisted Deeks limp body between them.

Callen and Sam limp-walked together with Deeks' dead weight between them as Kensi led them further away from the road. The plume of black smoke from the burning vehicle gave them a landmark to show their progress away from their pursuers. With a little luck, they might make it to a defensible position and maybe … just _maybe_ … the fates had more in store for them than capture or death in the desert.

When he was sure Kensi was out of earshot, Sam looked over to his partner. "We've got to get him out of here."

"I know."

Sam shook his head a little in frustration. "No, I mean it. He's got a basal skull fracture behind his left ear, his pulse is rapid and thready, and his respirations are becoming shallow. If he doesn't have surgery soon …" He did not need to finish for his friend to know what the result would be.

Callen squeezed his eyes shut at just the thought of the ramification if the scenario played out to a tragedy. The resulting fallout would devastate the team and Kensi … dear _God_ … Kensi. What would this do to her? It was too much to think about at the moment, so Callen put it away, tucked behind just getting them to a safe location first, the rest would fall into place, one way or the other.

They walked for about twenty minutes, covering almost three-quarters of a mile, before Callen knew that they needed to stop. Sam had stumbled a few times in the last minutes and they were both exhausted from carrying Deeks. He waited until Kensi spun to do a 360 degree turn, just like she did every thirty or so steps, before holding up a hand for her to halt in place. She kept the rifle at the ready, holding it at a forty-five degree angle with the barrel pointed at the ground. Her eyes never stopped scanning the landscape behind them, only letting them drift to her Deeks every few seconds.

Eventually, Sam and Callen stepped up to where Kensi was waiting, slipping over beneath a low hanging mesquite tree that would offer both shade and concealment. The two men eased Deeks to the ground as Kensi supported his head. When her fingers slipped around the sides of his head, she felt the soft depression on his skull and her blood froze. Looking down at his face, she could see the bruising that was forming around his eye sockets and the discoloration along his neck.

"Oh … _God_." His condition, though no visible serious injury could be seen, was serious … deadly. "Callen …"

The team leader caught the understanding in her mismatched eyes and he cursed the fates or God or whomever had put them in this mess. He nodded letting his gaze fall to his friend's motionless body as Kensi ran a hand over the man's chest. "I know Kensi, I know."

Sam dropped to the ground and quickly began to tighten the pressure dressing on his leg. The blood flow had slowed and he was not as light headed as before but he knew the longer they were out here without aid, the chances of any of them making it out of this valley became less and less. His mind fell into thinking of all the "if only" possibilities that had led them here but before he became ensnared in their trap, there was a soft mumble and he was pretty sure it came from Deeks.

Evidently, they had all heard it. Kensi leaned down to look at Deeks' face though his eyes were still closed. "Baby? Hey, can you hear me?"

The next sound was louder but still nothing more than an unintelligible mumble.

"Come on, Baby … open your eyes!" Kensi was barely breathing herself and her heart leaped in her chest when Deeks' eyes popped open. After a second, he began to look around and his body trembled under her touch as if he was trying to move. "NO! Lay still, Marty … please, just be still."

"Kens?"

Warmth filled her body as her name fell from his lips. "Yes, Baby … I'm here." She was already crying and made no attempt to stop. Relief flooded her system but it soon began to fade as Deeks did not seem to have heard her and he continued to look around as he tried to sit up.

"Kensi!" He voice was louder and if they were not careful, someone might hear him.

Kensi slipped her hand over his mouth to quiet and reassure him at the same time. "It's me Deeks … I'm right beside you." Her voice came out as a sob, terrified of what was happening.

His eyes became frantic, searching for her even though she was only inches in front of him. Kensi watched as his neck muscles tensed and she clamped her hand tightly over his lips as he screamed as loud as he could. "KENSI!"

It was muffled but it prompted Callen to kneel down next to his friends. "Come on, Deeks … we're right here … relax buddy … relax." He glanced over at Sam and they exchanged very concerned looks, then they both looked to Kensi who was beside herself with worry. She had one hand covering her love's mouth while the other covered her own, to stifle the screams that yearned to break free. The fortitude of the woman amazed the men kneeling with her as they shared in her anguish.

Deeks mumbled against Kensi's hand, his lips inadvertently tickling her skin. "Please baby … come back!"

"Oh God … _Deeks_ … baby, I'm … right … here." Kensi was sobbing. "I'm not going anywhere … I'm not leaving you."

Deeks appeared to relax for a moment, but then his body tensed and he began to turn on to his side. Callen, Sam and Kensi moved to hold him steady, preventing any unnecessary movement of his trembling body but he still shifted under their hands, as if he was not even aware of them. Before they realized, he was talking again, his voice small, like that of a scared, little child.

"No baby … don't go … please …" Tears began to leak from his eyes, leaving a shining trail down his cheeks. "I can't do this alone … come back … please …" The last few words were broken and came out as a desperate sob.

Kensi cried along with him, her hands trembling as she continued to caress his dirty face. "I'm here Marty … I love you … can you hear me? I love you!"

If he heard or understood, Deeks gave no indication as he continued to search for what he could not see. His entire body tensed as he let out a muffled but painful moan then he went still. Kensi watched in horror as his blue eyes rolled back into his skull and she felt his body go limp under her touch. "No _baby_ … no! You stay with me! You hear me, Deeks? Don't you do _this_!"

Sam had reached down and was checking the detective's pulse, feeling it become more rapid until he could not accurately keep count. The SEAL watched Deeks' chest rise and fall in pace with his heart rate … then for a brief second, his body just froze.

Then Deeks bounced off the ground as if he had suddenly been hit with a live electric wire. His heels dug into the dirt and his back arched upwards until it looked like his spine would snap in two. He let out a strangle cry and his arms locked, his fingers curling in on themselves as his hands rolled in toward the center of his body.

"He's seizing! Hold him steady!" Sam laid one muscled arm across his friend's chest as the man's body defied gravity, lifting off the dirt despite his friends' efforts to hold him down. They could hear the man's joints popping as every muscle in his body flexed at the same time, turning Deeks into something more akin to a twisted, petrified log than a human being. "Get him on his side … keep his airway open!"

Kensi held his head, trying to keep him from banging it on the ground and his body flexed and relaxed only to flex once more. She had experienced seizures before, but they had all been from medical issues; this was her first time with one that came about from trauma. It was taking everything that the three of them had to stop him from hurting himself anymore and it was simply hard to watch. A seizure like this coupled with the skull injury could mean so many things, but they all pointed to bleeding within the skull or even severe brain trauma.

The realization hit Kensi like a freight train. It was all she could do to turn her face away before she vomited into the desert floor.

After what seemed an eternity, Deeks' body slowly relaxed and his friends eased him onto his back. He was sweating profusely and his breathing had returned to its slow rhythm as he slipped deeper into unconsciousness. If not for his pale complexion, he looked like he had simply lain down in the dirt to take a nap. But he was not merely sleeping; his body was struggling against the effects of the pressure that was slowly building around the base of his brain stem, choking off the nerve impulses to the rest of his body. A situation that could only be remedied by quick medical intervention.

And right now, in this moment … it would take a miracle.

Callen looked to Sam, the team member with the most 'in the field' medical experience and training. "Can we move him?"

"We shouldn't … but if we don't get somewhere we can hide and defend …" Sam was already shifting to clamor to his feet. "… it won't matter anyway."

Turning to the female agent, Callen tapped her shoulder. "Kensi … hey, we need to move." She remained silent and still, almost catatonic. Applying a little more pressure, the senior agent pressed her until she finally came back from wherever her mind had taken her. "Get us to that small hill." He pointed to what looked like a good place to observe the valley and set up a defensive position if they had too.

Kensi remained silent but nodded her head in understanding. She bent down, tenderly kissing Deeks' forehead before wiping away her tears and marching off in the direction Callen had indicated; the Bad-Ass-Blye persona firmly back in place.

Inside she was dying, her heart tearing itself apart in regret over the stupid arguments about wedding plans, kids, and careers … _all_ of it. She wanted to go back to lazy mornings waking slowly, curled up in his arms, feeling his breath tickle her skin as they cuddled. The evening walks on the beach where they simply held hands, talking about everything or nothing at all, just content in the moment and each other. What would she give to be in one of those moments right now?

Everything.

Anything.

Kensi's heart begged God, the fates, destiny … whoever was listening … for this to be a nightmare and for her to awaken from it, with Deeks by her side, safe and healthy. But when she looked back over her shoulder to where Sam and Callen were trailing behind with her love supported between them, the nightmare continued.

The creek bed worked its way into the small hills, winding toward the north and when she glanced up she saw that the hill Callen had pointed out, did look like a good place to seek shelter. It had a clear view of the valley to their front and the area around it to the east and west was covered in fairly open terrain that would provide little to no cover for any force approaching from those directions. The only avenues were the creek bed and the small valley it ran through and the north which was dotted with even more hills and wildland. It was not perfect but under the circumstances it was their best option at the moment.

Kensi turned and motioned with her arm the change in direction, then waited for Callen to acknowledge her before she began the ascent. It was not a large hill but it did give them some high ground and the sides were covered with large boulders, big enough to seek cover and also provide defense against weapon fire. She waited at the crest, her eyes searching for movement in the direction they had traveled from, but there was no sign of pursuit. Kensi just wondered how long that would last.

Callen and Sam eased their way up to where Kensi was waiting to help them lower Deeks to the ground behind a large granite rock. She handed the M4 to Callen so she could cradle the detective's head in her lap, careful not to touch the damaged area of his skull. "Just rest baby … just rest." She began to slowly stroke his matted hair, moving the loose strands away from his face. "I love you, Deeks."

Turning away from his friends, Callen joined Sam who was leaning against another large boulder as he scanned the horizon for any signs of danger. "Anything?"

Sam shook his head. "Nothing … for now."

"Do you have any mags left?" Callen had counted up what he knew they had but he had not checked with his partner in their rush to get to the hill.

Sam checked his pouches again, finding just one more magazine to add to the number Callen had already procured. "Here, one more."

Callen let out a long sigh, but when he spoke, he kept his voice low enough that only Sam would hear him. "This isn't good … we only have a handful of mags and only a couple for the pistol … if they find us up here …"

The analytical Sam finished his thought for him. "… we won't last long." It was a sad confirmation of what all on them knew. The general had them outnumbered and outgunned. Even if his men were not well trained or experienced, just by sheer numbers they could overrun them easily. They would use the rockets or machinegun fire to force them to cover while troops closed the distance and took them out at close range.

"And we can't keep dragging you and Deeks around in these hills." Callen pointed over his shoulder to where Kensi was whispering comforting words to her fiancé.

Sam turned an indignant look to his friend. "Since when have you been _dragging_ me around?"

"Practically since the day we met."

They should not be laughing, but the massive level of stress they were under had to have a release, and it was a welcome one. Thinking that they may have upset Kensi, they glanced over and were glad to see that she was not really paying them much attention. Her focus was solely fixed on the man in her lap, the man she was going to marry, the man she was going love for as long as she lived.

"You've lost too much blood, Sam …" Callen held up his hand to cut off the coming rebuttal. "… you and I both know it, so stop arguing."

Sam paused for a moment to assess their situation honestly and yeah, he could not go on much further. All his body wanted to do was lay down somewhere in the shade and go to sleep. With his failing strength and Deeks deteriorating condition, it was getting harder and harder picturing them all making it through this. He quickly came up with an idea that he knew would not please any of the other team members.

Taking a deep breath, he laid it out with no real hope of it being what they would actually do. "Go … you and Kensi are still mobile and can make it further into the hills before the soldiers get to us, then you can ... maybe …"

Callen's stone, cold glare shut him up. "If you think for one moment that we are leaving you two here … you're crazier than I thought."

Sam chuckled softly to himself. "Yeah, it was just a way for at least two of us to maybe have of chance of living through this."

Pointing to the couple a few yards away, Callen lowered his voice to convey the insanity of that plan. "You think that any power on this earth could get her to leave him behind?"

Turning his eyes to the ground, Sam conceded. "Yeah … didn't really think you would go along with it either."

"What? Leave you behind? If I was going to do something like that … I would have done it _years_ ago."

The two friends chuckled together, finding just a little bit more humor in the moment, until from the direction of the smoke plume off in the distance, they heard an unmistakable sound. Whatever efforts they had made to conceal their trail was now negated by the baying of a team of tracking dogs.

The two men shared a look and Callen handed over the rifle, knowing Sam was the better shot at distance. Tugging the pistol from its holster, the team leader looked to the sky hoping some miracle would come.

But having no true hope that one would.

…

 **A/N: _eo plus cupiunt_ translates to "the more they want"**

 **Told you it was dark. Can't say that I didn't warn you.**

 ** **Semper Fi****

 ** ** ** **JS********


	5. Chapter 5

**Post Nubila**

…

When he opened his eyes, all he could she was Kensi, leaning against the far wall. Where they were, he had no idea but the expression on his partner's face told him that she was in deep distress.

"Kens?"

She stopped him with a desperate look. "STOP! Don't come any closer!"

"What?" He had already taken one step into the room.

"Deeks! Please … STOP MOVING!"

The detective froze where he was. "Okay, baby … okay."

Kensi's eyes flittered around the room. "They set up lasers and explosives … if I move … BOOM!"

"Really? Wow!" Deeks craned his head to see the small emitters that had been positioned around the room. "Holy bat crap!"

"You sound … _impressed_?"

Deeks was tugging his Beretta from his back. "Well, yeah. That some serious _James Bond_ stuff going on … the Sean Connery kind, not Daniel Craig."

"Why are you blabbering?"

"Cause I'm going to save your ass …" He had on his best annoying smirk. "… _literally_."

It worked.

Sort of.

Working together, Deeks blinded the emitters with the laser from his pistol while Kensi moved and contorted her body through the deadly maze. When there was only the one left … the one he could not reach … he held out his hands and she took them. Holding on for dear life, they got ready to make their big move and started to count up to three together.

"One …"

"Two …"

"Thr …"

"I love you, Deeks."

There was a bright, white flash followed by heat and flames as they landed hard on the concrete, Kensi on top, their bodies flush. Deeks smiled up at her, their hands still clasped and intertwined between their bodies. His back throbbed from the rough landing but the smile on his face was making his jaw ache.

When she finally opened her eyes, her smile matched his. "Hey."

Deeks lifted one hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her right ear. "Hey, yourself."

Kensi smiled that particular smile that curled his toes and she looked like she wanted to kiss him. "I have to pee."

"I think I just did."

Her laugh was like a gentle breeze, sending a shiver down his spine as she lowered her head to rest on his chest, laying her ear to his heart beat. Making no move to get up, Kensi let out a sigh of contentment, her breath warming his skin when she spoke. "Can't we just stay like this forever?"

"Well, we could ... _but_ …"

Kensi raised her head, a troubled look in her eyes. "But … _what_?"

Deeks pulled her closer so he could whisper in her ear. " _Buuuuut_ … now I really _do_ have to pee."

She snatched an arm free and punched him on the shoulder.

"But I thought you loved me?"

Kensi kissed him so hard that he saw stars. "I do, you idiot." She rocked back away from him but when he went to stand she pushed him back down … into a hospital bed. "Deeks, stay in that bed or you'll rip out your stitches."

When he looked down, he saw that his chest was wrapped in tight bandages and he had an IV drip line attached to his forearm. There was a blanket scrunched down around his hips and he was wearing a pair of scrub pants that were as thin as tissue paper.

"But I have to pee."

Kensi gave him a sympathetic look. "You just want to wait for _Debbie_ to come back and _help_ you to the john." She used air quotes around the word "help".

"Are you jealous?"

"Of the fact that you are a knucklehead?" Folding her arms across her chest, she sent him her attempt at a smirk.

"You could hand me that empty water pitcher … I don't think I can hold it much longer." He was giving her his puppy dog eyes look, which only made her roll her eyes and hold out her hands.

"Come on, you big baby."

Just as she eased him to the edge of the bed, her phone chirped in her back pocket. Kensi let him rest for a moment as she took Callen's call. When she only got bits and pieces, she patted his leg to get his attention. "It sounds important but I can't get reception in the hospital. If you can make it on your own, I'm going to run out and call him back."

He gave her a forlorn look then quick nod. "I'll just wait til you get back."

Kensi leaned in and kissed him softly on his lips. "I love you, Deeks."

Then she was hustling out through the curtains, and Deeks unashamedly watched her go, humming to himself at the movements of her hips. He relaxed slightly on the soft bed, before slowly easing to his feet, thankful that nothing pulled or stung too much. Shuffling toward the curtain, he was about to step through when something he had been thinking about earlier suddenly came back to the forefront of his mind.

In a flash, caring not that things were now pulling and stinging like crazy, he snatched up his Berretta and lumbered as fast as he could in the direction Kensi had disappeared. He passed nurse Debbie who shouted at him to get back to his bed but he paid her no heed and barreled on past. Reaching the emergency exit at the end of the hallway, he pushed it open; the stitches in his chest ripped his flesh, sending a wave of fire down his sternum.

Deeks stepped out into the afternoon sunlight, which blinded him for a moment. When his eyes adjusted, he saw Kensi several yards away with two burly men closing in on her from opposite directions, trying to hem her in.. He watched in amazement as she took them out with flying kicks and chops … but she had not seen the third man circling the van behind her. The man with a gun in his hand.

Bracing against one of the stone columns, Deeks raised his pistol, took careful aim, and fired off three shots in quick succession. The man dropped to the pavement as Callen and Sam squealed in to the parking lot, smoke bellowing from the car tires. They ran up to secure the men on the ground as Kensi disregarded them all to run right back to his side.

She caught him just as his strength gave out and eased him slowly to the ground. There were voices behind him but he was captivated by her smile and the concerned look in her mismatched eyes. She kissed his sweaty forehead as she held him close, sliding her hand down to clasp his. "You alright, baby?"

"I don't want to be here."

"Yeah, I bet." Kensi chuckled even with tears in her eyes. "You saved me again, babe."

"No, I don't want to be here."

A confused look worked its way onto her pretty face. "What … what do you mean?"

Deeks slipped a hand to clasp the back of her neck to hold her steady and close. "I want to be back at my place … with you."

Kensi pulled back slowly, a crooked smile forming on her red lips. She held his gaze for a moment, then she pushed back from the table to stand from her chair. Moving past him slowly, giving him a you-better-be-right-behind-me look as she walked toward the front of the fancy restaurant.

He was on his feet in a flash, tossing the cloth napkin onto his uneaten dinner and dropping a few twenties next to his glass of water. Moving as fast as his quivering legs would take him, Deeks caught up with her at the door, pushing it open so quickly, he feared he might break it and Kensi laughed softly at his antics. What would happen when they got to his apartment, he had no idea … but he knew in his heart that he would go with this woman anywhere.

They took his truck, leaving her Cadi in the lot, and she sat as close to his side as she possibly could, her hand on his thigh. The ride was too long and by the time they pulled up to his place, he was as nervous as a teenager on their first date. She let him come around and open the door for her and they walked hand in hand up to his door. After unlocking the deadbolt, Deeks turned to her, a knot in his throat. "Are you sure, Kens?"

Her answer was to push herself up into her tip toes and kiss him until he saw spots behind his eyelids. They entangled themselves together, stumbling through his living room and dropping most of their clothes on the way. By the time they reached his bed, they were down to their underwear and Deeks lowered her slowly to the mattress.

He was reverent when he laid down with her, cradled between her thighs and propping himself on his elbows allowing her to caress his chest. Kensi's eyes were intense with desire, lust, awe, and something else. Something that he was dying to say outloud himself. But before he could speak, she asked him a question.

"What are we doing, Marty?" It always made him crazy when she called him by his first name.

Deeks reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, softly stroking her skin along the way.

"Falling in love, baby."

Then his kissed her, giving her everything of himself and receiving the same from her in return. The night was filled with each other; exploring and learning, moving past a simple "thing" to what they had wanted ... what they had needed ... for so long. Memories were etched in that time that nothing could ever take away even when they hesitated in concern for the other, not wanting to go too fast or too slow.

She was more beautiful than he could have ever imagined and he worshiped her with all that he was and everything he could give her. There were moments when it was all almost too much, but they found nothing but confidence and encouragement from the other until their bodies and souls were spent, all of their energy gone. It was in the quiet, still moments that they spoke soft, reassuring words whispered in the dark until the morning light crept through the window. The calmness of her breathing told him that she had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder. He was softly stroking the skin of her naked back when the peacefulness of sleep tugged him under.

Deeks was jolted awake by a sudden impact. When his vision cleared, he found himself laying sideways in a destroyed transport helicopter with flames coming from the cockpit. He glanced around, seeing Sam trying to untangle himself from his restraint harness and Callen shaking his head, trying to focus. Jumping up as fast as his body would allow, Deeks quickly saw that Kensi was no where to be found.

"Kensi!" He was moving to where she had been sitting when the missile hit only to find that that entire side of the chopper had been torn away. His heart stopped in his chest as he saw the shemagh that she had been flipping in her hands not moments earlier laying beside her crumpled seat. Tumbling out the side onto the dirt and sand, he called out again, hoping against hope that she was okay. "KENSI!"

A soft moan came from behind him, off to the right. When he turned, Deeks could see the wrecked chopper and Callen and Sam stumbling their way outside. He heard it again and when he looked toward the ground, his heart stopped in his chest. There was Kensi, pinned beneath the helicopter's wreckage with only her head and shoulders poking out from all the twisted metal and steel. "Oh God ... baby!"

He was on his knees beside her in a flash, gently touching her face while he called out to his teammates who hurried over only to gasp audibly at seeing their trapped friend. Sam dropped beside them, his hand flying to her neck to check for a pulse which he thankfully found. It was weak but steady. Hallelujah.

Deeks moved to support her head and Kensi's eyes flew open. At first they were terrified but then when she focused on her lover, she actually managed a smile. "I guess I'm going to loose those frequent flyer miles now, huh?"

He wanted to scream and rage against whatever powers had put them in this situation, but he could not hide the chuckle that escaped his parched lips. "You wait til you're stuck under a helicopter to actually tell a good joke?"

Kensi smirked up at him. "My jokes are always good ... you just don't know how to appreciate them."

He leaned over and kissed her. "Touché, Fern ... touché."

"You can't _touch_ my touché."

There were tears in her eyes, the pain beginning to win but he would not let her see him loose his mind, no now anyway. "Well, I can't touch it at the moment, but as soon as you are on your feet ..."

"Deeks!"

Now it was his turn to smirk down at her as his friends worked around them, trying to find a way to get her out from under the wreckage. "You just lie there, thinking about all the good times were are going to have together ... little mutant ninja assassins ... Monty's grandchildren ... fish tacos ... naked surfing ... naked _anything_..."

Kensi was trying not to laugh, so she gave him a smile that would outshine the stars. "I love you, Deeks."

"I love you, Kens."

As they stared into each others eyes, the world around them began to dim. The last thing he remembered seeing was the twinkle of her eyes as it all disappeared into nothing.

…

 **A/N: _Post Nubila_ translates to "after the clouds"**


	6. Chapter 6

**Venit Lucem**

…

Kensi was gently stroking Deeks' forehead, whipping away the beads of sweat as they formed; it was basically all that she could do. The guys were keeping watch, waiting for the moment the bullets would begin to zip through the air and whatever was going to happen would finally happen. Short of some type of intervention, they would all probably die on this hill or they would be drug away for an even slower death at some secret site filled with torture and pain.

This was one of those moments she had faced before … an imminent death close at hand … where she would make some sort of peace with herself in order to bring her life to a fitting close. But this time, instead of thinking of a way to make peace with her life's end, she wanted nothing more than the chance to have just one more conversation with her love.

Since his earlier incoherent babblings, Deeks had remained quiet, moaning deep in his chest but otherwise nothing she could understand. She wondered if he was trying to speak out to her from where ever his mind had gone since he suffered the trauma. She hoped he was not scared or afraid, that his mind had found somewhere peaceful to rest and maybe that meant he would come back to her. The thought of him alone and afraid caused another round of tears to fall from her eyes but she wiped them away quickly, rolling her shoulders back in a display of strength that she did not truly feel.

Bending over as close to his face as she could, Kensi spoke softly. "Deeks? Baby? Can you hear me?" When he did not respond, she soldiered on. "I'm here babe … I'm not leaving you. I know that you don't understand what's happening, but know this … I love you … I love you so much."

Over to her right, Callen and Sam were moving apart in order to cover more of the approaches to their front. The team leader had his pistol in his hand as he ducked down behind a large boulder. He reached over and collected the remaining magazines from the small pile; it wasn't much but each one was valuable. Sam was gazing through the tactical scope on top of the M4, scanning the creek bed for any signs of movement.

When the battle came, they would be as ready as they possibly could be.

Kensi turned back to the man lying in her lap. "It's going to be crazy here in a little while babe, but don't you worry … they will have to drag me away from you. I … I …" Her thoughts got choked up in her throat and she could not stop the sob that broke free. "Ohhhh … _Marty_ … I wanted to tell you so many things after you climbed on that plane."

She had to take a moment to collect her thoughts before she could continue. "I'm sorry … I'm so sorry that I made you think that I was choosing the job over you … over us … I didn't mean to hurt you. I was so confused and I wasn't listening to what you were trying to say in that garage. Of course I want kids with you, I want to watch them grow up with a wonderful father, I want to grow old with you, Martin Andrew Deeks … so you had better knock off this crap and wake up."

Deeks remained motionless across her thighs.

"What am I going to do without you, babe? Who's going to sneak me Twinkies when the guys aren't watching? Who's going to make me laugh when my day has been crap?" It all hurt but she could not hold any of it inside one moment longer. "You are my everything, Marty … I want to be your wife and I want you to be my husband … always … so don't you leave me, okay?"

Deeks' eyes flew open, shocking her and making her gasp in surprise. "Deeks?! Oh my God … baby?"

He blinked for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the sunlight. "Kens?"

"Yeah, it's me babe." She was crying and could not stop.

"What … what happened?" His head was pounding and the world was blurry but he attempted to sit up. "My head … is … killing me."

Kensi held his shoulders down. "No! Don't try to move, you got a serious head injury and you have to lay still." She watched him squeeze his eyes shut, wincing in pain before relaxing back against her legs.

"Where are the guys?"

Sam and Callen both called out to him. "We're right here buddy … just lay still and we'll get you out of here as soon as we can."

"Is everyone okay?" His simple question make her heart swell with love for this man. He was the one with the serious and life-threatening injury but he was concerned about his friends. Looking up, Deeks saw that Kensi was deeply troubled. "Hey … hey babe … come on, you know I hate to see you cry."

Kensi wiped at her eyes, which did not really help stem the flow, but she wanted to give him a strong front and maybe ease his anxiety if she could. "I'm sorry … it's been a long day."

"Yeah, I'd say it has …" Something passed over his face but before she could ask, he gave her a serious look. "… I'm so sorry Kensi, I didn't mean to make to feel like I don't want to get married …"

Kensi felt her already battered heart, stutter in her chest. "Shhh, babe … it's not important …"

Deeks shook his head until he felt he would black out. "Yeah, it is … I just think we have some things we need to sort out and I felt like we were on different pages in the same book …" The world around him swam into a blurry haze and he waited for it to stop before he squeezed her hand. " … but we will sort it out."

Kensi choked out a sob that sounded like a laugh, squeezing his hand in return. "We always do." She leaned over to kiss him but just as their lips met, a chuck of the boulder at her back exploded in a puff of dust. Almost a full second later, they heard the report of a rifle off in the distance.

Callen ducked behind his own rock. "Cover! They spotted us." He looked over to Sam who was scanning through the rifle's scope. "Do you see 'em?"

Sam concentrated then he pulled the gun in tight to his shoulder, squeezing off a single round. "I saw the guy who fired that shot … and he won't do it again."

"How far out are they?" Callen looked over to check on Kensi and Deeks to find the female agent huddled over the detective, their hands interlocked. "You guys good?"

Kensi turned concerned eyes to her team leader and just gave him a quick nod.

Callen blew out a breath, frustrated at not having the option of sneaking off the hill but with Deeks as dead weight and Sam's leg at its limit, they were stuck here until something major happened or to the general's men around their position. He eased up so he could peak around the side of the large stone and caught sight of a small group of soldiers sprinting across the creek bed before disappearing into the brush along the edges. They were out of range for the handgun and were moving too fast for Sam to attempt an accurate shot.

The troops out there were apparently well trained; staying under cover and moving quickly across the open ground. This was going to get a lot worse before it got better. If it improved at all.

Sam waited until another team tried to cross the creek bed before leaning up to crack off a few quick shots as fast as he could pull the trigger, satisfied with his aim when the two men at the rear of the group fell and did not get back up. They were at about two to three hundred meters out and closing with practiced movements, making the job of picking them off all the more difficult. But he would be ready when one or more of them exposed themselves for too long.

"They're moving to the left, trying to flank us." Callen followed the soldiers as they skittered through the rough terrain, waiting for the moment he could get off a shot when they moved into range.

Sam popped up and sent a spray of automatic fire in the direction the troops were headed, causing several of them to scatter and turn back toward the creek bed. One in particular stopped to glance toward the hill; with a single shot, Sam put him on the dirt as well. When he looked past his latest victim, he quickly ducked behind cover, shouting to the others. "Crew served weapon at eleven o'clock!"

Just as he got the warning out, the ground around them erupted with the chatter of multiple rounds hitting in rapid sequence. The rocks protected them, but they were getting peppered with flying debris and small chunks of stone. Sam tried to sight in the machine-gun firing at them, but whenever he started to expose himself, the gunner would fire off a burst to keep his head down. "I can't get a shot!"

Callen was covering his head with his hands, sheltering from the thrown gravel and dust. "They've got us pinned!" He saw something move just a few meters away, down at the edge of the creek bed. He brought his pistol up and fired two rounds into the chest the soldier who had been trying to creep up on Sam. "Watch it! They're close!"

Rolling away from his first position, Sam moved behind another large boulder further back on the hill. Just as he brought the rifle up to his shoulder, two men in black uniforms stumbled over the crest where he had just been. They fell with another burst from the M4.

Sam called out to Callen to let him know that for the next second or two, his weapon would be empty and he would be vulnerable. "Changing mags!"

Callen covered his partner as he made a flawless mag change and get back into the fight without breaking stride. It could not have happened at a better time; because at that moment, another soldier appeared from a direction that Sam would not have a shot. The former CIA agent ended that threat with two shots to the center of the man's chest before turning to see the situation in the terrain to their front.

What he saw sent a shiver of hopelessness down his spine.

In the few moments that they had been entangled with the few troops that had made it to the hill, a number of vehicles had barreled up the creek bed and were splintering off to pin them in. Several more soldiers piled out of the back of the large 6X6 transport, quickly joining their comrades

There was a lull and the agents took the time to reload their weapons, topping off any depleted magazines. Sam crept over to another position, one that gave him a different field of fire where he could better cover the creek bed. Callen gathered an older M16 from one of the fallen soldiers but was disappointed to find that them man only had one extra magazine in one of his cargo pockets.

Kensi removed her useless assault vest and rolled it into a pillow to lay under Deeks' head. After making sure he was in a good, covered position, she crawled over and retrieved the pistol and extra mags that Callen handed to her. When he held on for a second longer than necessary, she looked up into his eyes and found a simple question in the steel gray.

"He came around for a second … then he passed out again." She was surprised she got the words out without crying again. She mentally kicked herself, she was tougher than this.

Seeing her struggle, Callen pointed toward the rear slope of the hill. "Cover that direction … it'll keep you close to Deeks in case he wakes up again."

Kensi nodded and moved away, back to her lover's side, checking to see if he had moved or shifted. Seeing that he was as she had left him, she tucked in beside him and behind another boulder, her keen eyes watching the approaches form their rear.

It was peaceful for a few more moments, but they all knew it was because their enemy was simply regrouping. The first skirmish had been a probing action, the men sent up to see how heavily armed the people on the hill were and to verify their location. Right now, the rest of the general's men were evaluating the terrain and any options open to them in taking the hill.

Suddenly, there was a roar over their heads and then an explosion just behind Kensi. The female agent rolled to the ground, covering Deeks' body with her own, allowing the rocks and debris to land on her instead of him. If they not been behind solid cover, they would be dead.

Sam was turning from checking on his friends when there was another roar of a rocket propelled grenade and the boulder he had been hiding behind vaporized in an eruption of fire, rock, and dust. He was propelled backwards, landing on his back a few feet away from Callen.

"SAM!" Spinning toward his friend, Callen was amazed as he watched his friend shake off the dust and roll back into a kneeling position behind another large rock.

They were all breathing hard, choking on the dusty air when the rapid crack of machine gun fire echoed across the valley. The rounds were high, coming in five or six round bursts, raking the tops of the boulders and tearing away at the brush and small trees around them. This went on for about a minute or so until the agents were pushed to ground, covering their heads with their hands to protect themselves from all the flying debris.

As if on a quick command, the firing stopped and after the echo from the firing faded, the small valley fell into relative silence.

Sam and Callen's eyes met, the sad truth evident to both of them. They were being toyed with. Either more troops had joined the battle or there had been more than they had first estimated. In any event, they had no chance of escape on their own, they were massively out manned and outgunned. The soldiers would simply pound them into dust with the rockets and machine guns, waiting to collect the bodies when it was all over.

There was only one conclusion to gather from those facts.

If something did not happen soon to change the balance of power, they were all going to die up on that hill.

Since none of the agents were made of anything less than fighting to the end, they all began running through any option that might lead them out of the valley. They were all silently contemplating their fate when the crackle and feed back from an electronic microphone came from below.

"Atencion! Atencion! Suelta tus armas y tus vidas seran pulverizadas!" Some knucklehead thought it would actually work, telling them to drop their weapons and surrender.

Callen responded by holding up one hand and flipping off whoever could see the gesture. "Fuck you!"

After a moment, the rocket and machine gun fire repeated just like earlier, lasting about the same amount of time. When it was over, the voice that called out to them was different and used English.

"This is General Arturo Vasquez … Senor Williams only wants to know the location of his son." The man's voice was strong and commanding, indicating that he was used to getting what he asked for. "If you surrender … you have my word that you will not be harmed … provided you give us the location of the child."

Sam was the one who flipped them off this time.

But no rockets or bullets were sent up the hill. Instead the General's voice split the air once more. "If that is your choice … but I implore you to reconsider … is this all worth your lives? We know that at least one of your team is severely wounded … we will give you medical aid ..."

From behind Callen and Sam, Kensi screamed out a roar of anguish and pain, then fired off a couple of rounds from her pistol. Callen and his partner turned to their teammate, giving her an questioning look.

"What?" Kensi simply shrugged and turned to check on Deeks before moving to cover their rear once more.

It was a second later when the General began talking once more, but this time he was directing his men to prepare to wipe them out. Callen ducked down into the dirt, getting as low as he could, while Sam was moving into a low position behind his boulder, trying to get and angle on the General's location.

When he found a good spot, he pulled the weapon into his shoulder and sighted through the low power scope. Below them in the valley, he could see men moving around, running behind cover and the vehicles, providing as poor a target as possible. He was about to give up, when he caught sight of a man standing up through the upper hatch of an armored hummer, wearing a nice uniform and holding a large bull horn in his hand.

It was a long shot, out close to five hundred meters, right at the edge of the range for the weapon in his hands. The scope was only a four power and the recticle was designed for closer combat, but it was a shot he was willing to make. If he could take out the general or, at least, wound him, then maybe their discipline wound splinter and the snake might die without its head.

After checking that there was a round in the chamber, Sam took a few rapid deep breaths, filling his lungs with air, cutting down on his body's need for oxygen. He pulled the weapon's butt-stock tight into his shoulder, blowing out his last breath as he did. Looking through the scope, he took one last breath, letting it out slowly while watching the cross-hairs as they moved from high over the general's head, until it began to bisect his chest, then Sam held his breath and began to squeeze but just before the trigger broke ...

... the back of the general's head exploded in a puff of crimson mist, his now lifeless body slumping down into the hummer.

…

 **A/N:** ** _Venit lucem_** **translates to "come to light". I was trying to have the chapter titles match the lyrics of the song, but I ran out of lyrics so I had to improvise. I hope it still fits with the theme.**

 **Semper Fi**

 **JS**


	7. Chapter 7

**Semper In Aeturnum**

...

Deeks pushed himself through the dark water, pumping his legs to propel him forward until he needed to surface for a breath of air. When his head broke the surface, the morning sun was beginning to peak over the snow capped mountains in the distance. Rotating over onto his back, he relaxed, letting his body float along slowly as the cold crept into his bones.

It was refreshing and a bit disconcerting all at the same time.

The coolness of the water around him eased the burning that his morning swim had stirred in his muscles. His lungs took in the chilly air as he slipped along the calm surface of the large lake, nestled deep in some strange forest of large pines and scattered hard woods. Wherever he was, it was peaceful and calm. He could feel the stress and anxiety slipping from his mind as the water eased the ache in his body.

There came a shriek from high over head and Deeks paused to watch an eagle soaring through the morning sky that was a splendid explosion of oranges and pinks. It literally took his breath away; all the beauty of creation all around him and he was humbled at the incredible power of it all. He had seen many awesome examples of nature's unmatched splendor, but this morning was overwhelming them all.

He was at perfect peace, something that he had experienced only a few times in his life but this one felt different, like it was all building toward something ... well, something he really could not quantify in his thoughts. It was like he was being pulled toward a moment in time he could not see but could only sense its presence. Like a warm breeze on a summer day; you felt it but could not see what had just touched you.

Before his mind could begin to grasp the thought, a familiar voice called out to him.

"Deeks!"

He turned his gaze toward the sound, finding a lone figure walking toward him across a long wooden dock. The woman's form materialized out of the morning fog that was still floating along the edges of the lake, giving her an almost magical appearance.

"Morning Kens."

Kensi, dressed in a simple white robe, walked until she reached the edge of the platform then she stopped and dipped one toe into the mirror surface of the water. "Are you insane?! This water is freezing!"

"But it feels so good!" Deeks would have splashed her but she was too far away. "You should jump in."

"I'm not wearing my suit." She jammed her cold hands into the robe's pockets.

He waggled his eyebrows but she was too far away to see. "Neither am I!"

Kensi's laugh echoed across the water, sending a shiver of longing through his body. The moment was perfect and he wished he could freeze time and spend an eternity listening to the love of his life laugh like that. There were so many things about her that he loved and her snort/laugh was high on that list.

Her smile.

The one she only shared with him. The one she gave him right before she said "I love you". The one she had right after he had said the same to her.

Her eyes.

When they lit up when she saw him when she woke up in his arms. The ones that could convey so much without even needing words. Those mismatched orbs that could see right into his very soul.

Her hands.

So strong, yet so tender when they touched him. The ones that held him up, to be better than he was and the ones that pulled him from the mire when he was sinking into the abyss.

So many things about this woman who had stolen his heart when he wasn't even looking. She often asked him when the moment came that he knew he was in love with her and he struggled to give her an honest answer. It had felt like he was in the middle before he even knew it had began.

He could not remember not being in love with her.

Whether it was that day in that smelly MMA gym or the day he pulled her on top of his own body to escape an exploding room filled with lasers ... or ... the day he let her hold his gun ... when she said that he was the only one she trusted ... a night she asked him not to die on her ... a box sitting on a shelf ... a knife that was so much more than a knife ...

The more he tried to nail down a specific spot in their history together, the harder it became to pinpoint the exact moment. But it really did not matter, not since the day that she put that flash-bang grenade pin on his finger and they had began to become so much more than partners, friends and lovers.

All of these thoughts flashed through his mind and it shocked him at all the moments that they had shared in the short time that they had known each other. There were so many memories and yet so many that were left out, lost in the recesses of his mind.

If life could get any better than this, he could not imagine any greater happiness and contentment.

"How long have you been out here?" Kensi's question brought him back.

Deeks kicked his legs, wanting to draw closer to her before she slipped away. "Not too long. You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn't want to wake you."

"Thanks babe." She stood from the water's edge, turning back toward the cabin that was now becoming visible at the edge of the trees. "Don't stay out too long ... the kids are trying to make your special honey-nut-chocolate chip pancakes and they need their daddy to help them out."

"Tell the little rag-muffins that I'll be right in." The faces of a little blonde-haired boy and his little sister, a smaller version of Kensi with dark curls, danced through his mind, warming his heart with a daddy's love.

She raised a hand and gave him a simple wave as she turned back toward the house.

Kensi had only taken a few steps when he felt the urge to call out to her.

"Kensi!"

She stopped and slowly turned. "Yeah babe?"

Deeks stopped swimming and began treading water. "I love you!"

Kensi laughed then responded just like he knew she would. "I love you too!"

The something that had been tugging at him, resumed its pull. Whatever was coming, was coming soon and Deeks had the sudden sensation that he did not have much time. He took a breath and called out even louder.

"You're my everything, babe!"

Now, Kensi had stopped walking along the dock, turning to face him but not moving any closer. "And you are mine!"

It wasn't enough and he pushed forward with his legs, but he did not move any closer. "Kens!"

"Deeks!" She had called back to him, but she sounded so far away ... and sad.

This was it, the moment that had been haunting him.

Summoning every ounce of strength he had, Deeks yelled out the only thing he could think of to comfort her.

"I choose you, Kensi ... I will always choose you!"

And the darkness that had been at the edge of his vision overcame him and he knew no more.

...

 **A/N: _Semper In Aeturnum_ translates to "Always Forever".**

 **Semper Fidelis**

 **JS**


	8. Venit Procellas

**Venit Procellas**

…

Chaos erupted in the valley as the soldiers began to run around, trying to figure out what just happened.

Callen called out to his friend. "That was one hellava shot, partner!"

Sam turned his head quickly. "But I didn't fire!"

"What?! Then who ..."

That was when all hell really did break loose.

At almost the same moment, several soldiers took impacts from rounds fired by weapons that apparently made no sound. Whoever had fired at them, they were using high-end suppressors that, from this range, rendered them almost silent. The troops were almost as confused as the agents, unsure of exactly where the rounds had originated until another volley hit, indicating from the angle that the shooters were somewhere in the hills just to the north.

With the direction of this new enemy identified, several of the troops made an attempt at returning fire at something they could not see, their shots random and ineffective. From the hills more rounds came, taking out a few more soldiers but then one of the crew served weapons opened up, sending high caliber rounds screaming into the brush covered hillside.

The response was sure and fast. A load, ripping sound filled the air as a machine-gun with a high rate of fire destroyed the weapon and her crew. Sam, with his years of experience, recognized the rapid firing from an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon or SAW; a lightweight machine used primarily by U.S. Forces that fired 5.56 mm rounds at almost one thousand rounds per minute. The agents simply curled up behind their cover while whoever had come to their rescue continued to chop up the soldiers who were slowly getting wiped out. Anyone who tried to return fire was shot down by very quick and accurate gunfire.

Sam rolled over to look back through his scope, catching the images of men trying desperately to fight back only to die where they stood. Several began to seek cover behind one of the large transports and they were seemingly safe until a smoke trail from a rocket spiraled down from the hill, obliterating the truck right along with the men. If this was the cavalry, they had come at just the right moment with the right equipment.

Callen eased up to check out the carnage and saw a lone soldier who noticed that the hill the agents were on was the only place that was not firing at them. He sprinted up the slope and the agent was just sighting down his M16 when the man's head exploded and the body crumpled to the ground. Somewhere up in the hills, there was somebody behind a very accurate and quiet, long-range rifle.

As he was turning to check on Kensi, three camouflaged soldiers, their faces hidden behind smegahs and bandannas, materialized from the brush, suppressed M4s held in front of them. The closest one spotted Kensi first and quickly held up his weak hand, palm out, signaling that they were not a threat to the agents and all three lowered their weapons.

"Callen, Hanna, Blye, Deeks?"

Callen managed to choke through the dust. "Yeah, we're here."

"Looks like we go here just in time." The soldiers moved to flank each agent, kneeling down and keeping their rifles at the ready. "Delta Unit DUSTER … Hetty sent us."

Sam let out a long exhale of warm air. "You have _got_ to be kidding me."

One of the men tugged down the green and black speckled bandanna, revealing a slightly familiar face. "We just love saving you lifeguards." It was the Delta Team Leader who had led his boys to their rescue down in Tijuana when they were trying to extricate the traitorous finance contractor, Milton Mulrooney.

Sam took his outstretched hand and shook it heartily. "Still glad to see you."

The soldier glanced down at the SEAL's bleeding leg. "That looks bad."

Callen crawled up beside them, relief evident on his face. "Just get us out of here."

"We're clear to the north and my guys will cover your exfil." He spoke into the mic at his throat. "We are prepping to move. Tuck, you and Vinny, get the blonde ready."

The other two soldiers slung their weapons to their sides then one tugged a small canvas roll from his side and unrolled it to reveal a collapsible stretcher. They moved over to Deeks and Kensi who had not left his side. The female hesitated for a second, unsure until the medic patted her on the shoulder, encouraging her to let them help. Being as gentle as they could, they rolled Deeks' unconscious body onto the stretcher, securing him with a few Velcro straps.

Tuck called over, "Patient is ready."

Helping Sam to his feet, the leader nodded to where the rest of his team was waiting. "Okay … LET'S MOVE!" Callen led just out in front, with Sam hobbling alongside his helper with Tuck and Vinny carrying Deeks between them. Kensi brought up the rear, watching their six with a rifle she had picked up from the body of one of the general's dead men. They slipped down the backside of the hill as the rest of the soldiers in the valley were being picked off by accurate and consistent fire from the remaining Delta team.

Callen spoke over his shoulder. "Uh, thanks again … but how in the world did you get here so fast and how did you find us?"

Easing Sam down a slight incline, the leader grunted with the effort. "There was already a team tailing you ..."

"Who was that?" Sam slipped when his wounded leg gave out for a second but was caught by his new friend.

"A grizzly guy named Turk and some spitfire little Dark Green Marine."

Callen spun in place. "You mean … _Hidoko_?!"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"We thought she was dead." Callen could not believe it; they had seen the burned remains and they had all believed that it was the new addition to their group … it just did not make sense.

"We were already in the area … and that's about all I'm going to tell you about what exactly we were doing down here … when General Keys gives us a call for a rescue and recovery of our favorite Navy cop team." He chuckled at the end, amused at the repeat of a rescue from two years ago. "Seems that your boss and he have some unspoken agreement about unsanctioned operations by American forces … or as in this case … very special agents."

Sam held on the man's shoulders as they worked their way through the rough terrain. "What's our way out of here?"

"They have trucks waiting on the north side of that large hill … and there's a chopper in route to a secure landing zone about five clicks to the west."

Callen thought of something that caused a bit of alarm. "Those soldiers back there … and the General … they were Mexican troops … how are you going to cover for that?"

The leader shook his head as he spoke. "Why is it, that spooks are the only ones who think they know how to operate without getting caught?"

Callen took the hit in stride. "Sorry man, force of habit and no offense intended."

The soldier just smiled. "None taken. As for the troops … after we pull out, we'll leave behind enough evidence to point to one of the local cartels. The authorities will think that the general and his men got caught up in an ongoing turf war and got their asses kicked … happens all the time down here."

Thinking that the ruse at least sounded plausible, Callen had to admire the simplicity of the plan. He was trying to come up with a better idea when he stepped out into what would be called a two path road that disappeared around a large hill. There were two run-down flatbed trucks with a torn canvas tops covering their beds sitting at the edge of the trees with an anxious Arlo Turk standing beside the driver's door of the closest one.

"Well, well, well … Agent Callen." He slung his own rifle to his side, holding out a helping hand to Sam. "You sure know how to show a guy a good time."

Callen stepped up. "Next time, I'll bring more dancing girls."

"I'll start saving the Tequila." He moved around to the rear of the truck and flipped up the edge of the canvas. "Come on, we've got to get you guys to the extrication site." He climbed up and then helped tug Sam up into the back. There were two black body bags sitting beside him; bags that obviously had bodies in them. Seeing Callen's eyes land on the bags, he explained. "Two local cartel members that will convince any official probing that this was all a big misunderstanding between the locals and the general and not some stupid, idiotic plan to get someone's son and possibly cause an international incident."

Ignoring the disgruntled man's ramblings, Callen turned to see Kensi rushing up beside Deeks as the two soldiers began to heave him up to join Sam.

Tuck, the unit's medic, called out as they eased the unmoving man into the rear of the truck. "Watch it … he's got a basal skull fracture and possible thoracic trauma." He quickly climbed up and began to unpack the trauma kit he had slung across his back. "I'll try to get him stabilized for the flight across the border … there's a level one trauma center about twenty minutes away." He was speaking directly to Kensi, understanding the look the woman was giving the man on the stretcher.

Callen was about to pull himself up into the bed of the truck when a lone figure slipped from the tree line. Whoever it was, they were heavily camouflaged with a long, scoped rifle held in their hands. The individual trotted up, their head covered with vegetation and strips of burlap, making their form indistinguishable from the surrounding terrain. When only a few yards away, they tugged the boonie hat back, revealing a familiar face.

"Hidoko!" Callen choked out as he pulled her in to an uncharacteristic side-hug. "We thought we lost you."

The Marine shrugged shyly, patting him across his back with her free hand. "Good to see you too, Callen."

He pulled back. "Wait … the burned body?"

A sad look crossed the woman's eyes as she pulled out of his embrace. "My contact down here … Ximena."

"Sorry ... did you know her well?" He asked as he clamored up into the back of the truck.

The younger woman shook her head. "Not really, only worked with her once before." The truck engine roared to life and she turned to head toward the cab. "I'll ride up front with Arlo." and catching Kensi's eyes, gave the anxious woman a nod of understanding. "We'll try to give him a smooth trip."

As soon as she was in her seat, Turk jammed the truck into gear and they headed out across the dusty road that wound back toward the north, through the mountains. He kept the speed as slow as he dared with the need to get Deeks to the chopper as quickly as possible but also conscious of every bump and shake of the truck over the rough gravel.

After experiencing another really sharp bounce which elicited some curses from the rear of the vehicle, Turk let out his own frustration. "I wish that damn helo could have landed closer!"

Beside him, Hidoko shook her head. "If the locals spot that Blackhawk, they'll report it to the cartel that will pass it to their government lackeys and then we will have even more to explain to Washington. It's only a bit further ... we'll make it."

The grizzled agent glanced over at her quickly. "Yeah ... but will _he_? He looked pretty bad when they brought him up."

Hidoko turned to look out at the passing landscape thinking about how much this mission had already cost. Although Ximena had simply been another usable asset that she did not know all that much, the painful way she had ended did not sit well with the young woman. While she was loyal to Mosley, perhaps to a fault, the haphazard way this had all been thrown together could only result in unnecessary collateral damage. There would be questions that would be uncomfortable to answer and ramifications to all of their careers even if there were no more losses. She dreaded to even consider what would happen if Deeks ... no, she was not going to think those thoughts.

Turning to look behind them, Hidoko could see the medic was busy working on stabilizing Deeks while three very quiet agents knelt around them, bouncing side to side as the truck sped along the rough road. The detective was still unmoving and his color was even paler than just a few minutes earlier. Sam was helping the medic as much as he could while Callen kept switching from scanning their six to offering some comforting words to Kensi. The brunette was clasping her fiancé's hand, rubbing it against her cheek, drying her own tears with his touch.

When she could bear to watch the sad scene any longer, Hidoko turned to find that they were still not at the landing site. Growling in frustration, she kicked a booted foot against the dashboard, earning a small rebuke from the driver.

"I went through a lot of trouble to steal this truck ... please don't break it!" Arlo navigated around a small rock fall that was blocking part of the road, while sending the agent one of his more charming smiles.

"If it goes any slower, I can't make any promises."

Accelerating as much as he could safely, he had to give her kudos for her spunk. "You ever get down here when you're not agenting for NCIS?"

Hidoko sent him an incredulous look. "Are you hitting on me?"

Arlo shrugged at her smirk. "Well ... not really ... Hetty told me about your husband and I'm sorry for your loss; I just don't get a lot of visitors I actually like and good friends are hard to come by."

Hidoko had to give him credit where it was due. He was an tough and honest man who seemed willing to risk an awful lot for people he barely knew. That received high marks in her book.

"Just drive, Arlo ..." But she couldn't hide the slight smile that was trying to creep onto her face. "... and, we'll see."

He could not argue with that and was about to respond when they rounded another curve in the road and there was the waiting helo. Turk eased down on the brakes, bringing them to a stop only a few yards away from the spinning rotors and called out over his shoulder as they clamored out of the cab. "We're here!"

Dropping onto the dusty road, Arlo sprinted to the back, arriving at the same time as Hidoko who was reaching up to help the people in the rear of the truck.

But no one was moving as they knelt around Deeks' still body. The medic had his fingers pressed into the side of Deeks' throat for several long seconds before looking up into Callen's sad eyes and giving him a slow shake of his head. From his body's position, it was obvious that the agent had been administering CPR to his fallen comrade but it seemed his efforts had been in vain. He leaned back on his haunches, letting his wet eyes search the sky above for answers that were not easily found. Looking down, his gaze fell to the woman holding Deeks' head in her lap. The woman who he saw as his little sister, the woman who had just lost the love of her life.

Hidoko watched as the medic slowly turned and began repacking his medical kit, zipping it closed before tossing it over his shoulder. He leaned down, placing a hand on Kensi's shoulder and whispered something that made her nod her head slightly. Looking up, he exchanged a sad look with both Callen and Sam before he dropped off the back of the truck, leaving the agents in their little huddle around Deeks' lifeless body

Kensi glanced up briefly and the younger agent caught the expression on the woman's dirty face. It was a familiar look, one Hidoko remembered seeing when she caught her own reflection in a mirror just moments after watching her husband leave this life. She heard Turk suck in a breath and curse softly beside her as she watched his knuckles turn white as he gripped the edge of the truck bed.

Stepping away to grieve on her own, Hidoko caught both Sam's and Callen's grim expressions as they climbed down, their bruised and battered bodies worn down by pain and now a new sense of loss. The two men helped each other to lean against the side of the truck, tears streaking their cheeks as they tried in vain to process the profound sense of futility and anger.

From the back of the truck, a wail of pain and grief shook them all to their core. None of them could remember ever hearing such a sound of soul-rending desperation as the one that was now echoing across the valley that even the noise from the helo's engine could not drown out. It was the sound of ultimate suffering, of ultimate loss ... and the sound would echo in their souls far longer than it should because this had been their friend who had been lost and it was another friend who had lost so much.

Hidoko looked toward the sound of Kensi's hoarse sobs and saw the woman cradling her fiancé's pale face in her hands as she kissed his cold lips over and over again. It was utterly heartbreaking to witness such love and pain expressed all at the same time by the same person. The heart broken woman was hopelessly mumbling "I love you" over and over again though her love could not hear her.

It was absolutely the saddest confession of love that any one of them had ever witnessed. The loss of their friend would haunt them for months to come. With all the "what if's" and the "why's", they would tear themselves apart in vain attempts to find some semblance of normality in this new reality.

There would be no more "can't touch my touché".

No more arguing about which food truck had the best fish tacos.

No more comments about long blonde hair.

No more shaggy.

No more Pacific blue eyes that always made Kensi weak in the knees.

No "I do's".

It all came to an end in the back of a stolen truck on a lonely road in some forgotten valley in Mexico and none of them would ever be the same again.

…

 **A/N:** _Venit Procella_ **translates to "comes the storm".**

 **Semper Fi**

 **JS**


	9. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

 **...**

The beach was almost deserted at this time of day but there were a few people dotted across the sand. It was mostly couples but there was one particular family walking back toward the parking lot; the father carrying a sleeping blonde little girl while toting a large, inflatable killer whale with his free hand. His female companion walked beside him, one hand hooked into one of the pockets of his swim trunks while the other held the hand of a boy of about five or six. The little one was swinging his arm along with his mother, lost in imagination and wonder at the ocean waves and the gulls swirling overhead.

Kensi watched the small family until they eventually disappeared around the taco stand and despite the incredible sense of loss that still burned in her heart, she had to smile at the happiness the couple had found. She paused to unclick Monty's leash before kicking off her sandals to carry them hooked in her fingers turning back to the water churning in front of her. Her furry companion trotted over to the foaming water, took a couple of sniffs until he sat back on his haunches, looking around like something, or someone, was missing. The tall brunette watched him with sad eyes, remembering the dark night she told Deeks' most faithful friend that "daddy" was not coming home again.

Ambling closer to the water, she found herself completely alone except for her furry companion. She had to pull her hair across her shoulder, the Pacific winds beginning to pick up as the orange sun began to dip behind the horizon. Walking until the surf lapped at her toes, Kensi came to a stop, letting the calming effect of the constant in and out of the waves lull her into a more peaceful state. While the past weeks had been filled with loneliness and heartache, she finally felt the stirrings of hope deep in her soul and she had to reluctantly admit that she was grateful for the moment. The path to this point in her life could have seen her crashing back into her old ways of shutting off her wounded heart or slipping into despondency with no vision of a future beyond that of taking her next breath. This day in particular had brought a ray of light into that darkness.

Turning into the setting sun, Kensi took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she began to speak to the waves.

"Hey baby …" Her voice cracked and left her for a moment, just like it did each time she came here. She swallowed the burning at the back of her throat, summoning the strength that made her able to deal with such devastating loss. " … I … uh … I miss you, Deeks."

This place had become their spot early in their 'thing'. It had morphed from just a hang out while eating tacos after their surfing lessons to become their favorite place to unwind when they needed someplace quiet _._ When they starting officially dating, their evenings often found them here; holding hands while walking along the beach before they would stop and watch the sun go down together, talking about future plans or content to spend long moments saying nothing at all. It was also where she would find him if they had had a disagreement and needed some cool-down time before they made up. When a case got to close to home and showed them another shade of the evil humans could perpetrate against each other, this is where they came; sometimes together but at other times, they came here alone, to find some type of equilibrium that would allow the world to make sense once more.

Kensi wiped at her eyes, blowing out her breath as her courage faded. "I … I can't believe that it's been … it's been ..." She let the words fall away, knowing exactly how long it had been. How many weeks. How many days. Hours. Seconds.

Since she lost him.

"Dammit … it's not getting any easier without you babe ..." She wiped away the tears that were slipping down her cheeks. "... but … uh, I guess I'm going to have to figure out a way to do this on my own."

Kensi listened to the sound of the waves pounding into the shore for a few minutes while she collected her thoughts and let the ache in her heart ease it's grip. Over the past weeks, her world had been turned completely upside down and just thinking about anything to do with Mexico threatened to send her into another tailspin. There had been moments of screaming at God, the fates, or whomever she felt was to blame for taking him away from her. Guilt and regret over her own decisions, the ones made before and during the mission, that may have produced a different outcome than the one she was enduring, plagued her dreams and sometimes a great portion of her waking moments.

But today was a different day and she needed to tell him.

"I'm sorry, Marty … I'm so sorry. I should have listened to what you were trying to tell me that night in the garage. I should have walked out as soon as Mosley fired you for saying what we all were thinking." She had been so caught up in doing what she was told that she did not even consider the ramifications for all of the parties involved. At the moment, she had believed that the mission had been the right thing to do and it probably was, but the cost had been too high; the price more than she had been willing to pay.

"It was a disaster from the start and now that we're back … it's only gotten worse; Mosley and her son are in the wind, they disappeared as soon as the helicopter landed back in the States. There's also a team that the Justice Department sent down from D.C. and they're ripping us a new one, questioning us about everything. If it hadn't been for Hidoko and Turk, we would have been stuck in Mexico … not that I really cared at the moment. You were … you were gone and I just didn't care anymore."

A wave splashed against her leg, sending cool water up her calf. It was both exhilarating and calming at the same time. "Hetty's let me take as long as I need … Callen and Sam have been great; they check up on me everyday just like the annoying older brothers that they are. I think Callen is dealing with the best way he can ... but I'm afraid he's blaming himself for taking us there in the first place. Sam ... well, he's trying to be the strong one in the group but I think it broke his heart. I know he still picked on you but he loved you ... I can see it in his eyes when he talks about you."

Kensi started walking along the shoreline, letting the waves foam around her ankles as she moved. "Your memorial service was beautiful babe. I've never seen so many police officers in one place at the same time. I know you always said that you had no friends at LAPD but you couldn't tell that day. They may not have liked you but they respected you and it showed."

She did not mention all the agents, both from LA and D.C. that had been there that day as well. Kensi had held it together until Lieutenant Bates had handed the folded American flag into Roberta's hands and the poor woman almost collapsed beside her. The two women had clung to each other, with Callen and Sam holding them up when their strength finally gave out.

Ray had been there with his little family, proud to stand in honor of the man who had changed his life for the better through the power of friendship. Talia had flown in on the same flight as Nate, just in time to catch the service but she had been truly supportive of Kensi, giving her another shoulder to cry on during the moments when it became all too much. Nell and Eric were far too quiet, the exact opposite of their exuberant natures as they tried to find their own way of mourning a man they both loved deeply.

After the memorial, the team and her mother had accompanied her and Roberta out on Sam's boat, where they took Deeks' ashes and deposited them into the Pacific ocean, where he could spend eternity catching every wave that suited his fancy. It had been a somber moment as she and his mother carefully poured his remains into the water, their friends and family lovingly standing with them. That was another reason she came here almost every day to talk to him, where she could pour out her heart; the pain, the anger, the ache, the loneliness … let it all go, carried away with the tide. It was how she was coping at the moment, but some times the darkness won and all she could do was weep for the love she had lost.

"I can't stand it some days. Most of the time, I just want to find Mosley and choke the life out of her … but everyday, I just want to be with you … I wish … I wish ..." Kensi swallowed the burning sensation in the back of her throat. "I wish we had just walked away … ran off and eloped … so we could have made it official and I could have been your wife for real. I love you Deeks, and I know that I always will, with everything that I am."

She stopped walking and took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she had to say next. "I've got something to tell you babe … I uh … I can't stay long tonight, I'm meeting Hetty at that little bistro on the corner in a few minutes but I wanted to talk to you first."

"I didn't get to tell you when we got to Mexico … we weren't really talking about anything important. At first I thought it was all because I was upset about our fight in the garage or the tension over the mission and how crappy the whole situation was … but I'd been feeling nauseous the whole time we were down there." She inadvertently laid a hand to a spot just below her stomach. "Then when we got back ... and you were ... you were ... I started getting sick ..."

The words were tangling on top of her tongue and she knew that she had to get them out, if not just to hear herself actually say them out loud.

"I'm pregnant Marty … I'm going to have your baby."

She could not stop the tears this time and just let them flow. It did not really matter, but she was grateful that she was alone on the beach and no one would see her in this state. "Talia was actually the one to notice something was up and convinced me to get a home test … I took two … and I just came from the doctor and she confirmed it."

"That's why I'm meeting Hetty in a few … I've got to talk to her about my options." A few weeks ago, her future had been certain. She and Deeks would get married, they would figure out their careers, they would have kids, grow old together and have their happily ever after. This path she now found herself on was not one she have even contemplated and it was difficult to know which was was up on some days. Her friends and family had been there for her but no one could take his place and the hole in her heart seemed to grow day by day.

Until today.

There was a new life growing within her own body and even with the loss that was so overwhelming, there had come a ray of light and she was going to do everything in her power to hold onto it. Whatever changes she needed to make, she would do it. There was no way she would put their child in danger; she could not rick losing their little one the way she had lost her Deeks. Yes, this life was unpredictable and the end could come from a defective heart valve just as easily as from a bullet or a bomb set off by a terrorist.

Kensi Marie Blye had been given another chance at a different type of happiness, and there was no power on this earth that could prevent her from giving it her all.

"I love you babe … I love you so much it hurts." And she did, even though he would never be there with her again, not physically anyway. "You will always be with me … I even heard your laugh the other day … it was so clear, I couldn't breathe for a moment."

Monty nudged her knee and when she looked down, he was wagging his tail like he was excited about something. Kensi saw that he was looking out at the waves, tracking something with his brown eyes, almost like he used to do when …

Looking up quickly, she saw a large wave finish breaking against another, throwing up a spray of white foam and for a split second, it had the vague shape of a person. It was not clearly defined and her mind knew that it was just a convergence of the lighting, the water droplets falling through the air, and the wind … but her heart felt him there at that moment. Her hand flew to cover the gasp that escaped before she could stop calling out his name.

"Deeks ..."

Then a soft breeze touched her cheek, like a light kiss.

In the days and weeks that followed; after her resignation as a field agent, after all the squeals and jumping up and down with Nell after the good news broke, after three grown men arguing over which one would be the bestest uncle, after telling her mother that she was going to have her grandchild …

… Kensi "Bad Ass" Blye would know without a doubt that her love had been there on that beach that afternoon and that he had kissed her cheek after finding out she was going to have his child.

It was crazy, she knew that … but she would spend the rest of her life knowing that even though he could not be with her on this earth, he would forever be by her side even though she could not see him.

Just like he promised.

 _fin_

 _..._

 **A/N: Thank you for staying with me through this little journey. It took me a good bit longer than I expected when I started and turned out a lot differently than most of you expected.**

 **It was dark, like I said in the description and I do apologize for not labeling it "tragedy" but then you would have known what the ending was going to be. Yes, I killed off Deeks but please know that I'm a huge fan of the character as well as DENSI and this is not what I usually write … but this is the story that jumped into my head when the season finale aired and we were left with a burning SUV and the big unknown over the summer. There was a moment that I even considered killing off Kensi but it just did not swing in that direction.**

 **I wanted to tell a story where 'reality' turns out to not be what was expected or even wanted. Sometimes we do not get the happily ever after. Sometimes the path is one of pain and suffering. Sometimes we do not get to make up. Sometimes we have to learn to live with regret. That's the world we live in and I was growing tired of stories with the happy ending wrapped up with a neat little bow, with no consequences for choosing a particular path.**

 **Thanks for the support and the reviews, even when you did not like the tone or direction that my story was taking. I was in the middle of writing it when I suffered a medical emergency back in October and one thing that was a slight side effect was I had a hard time keeping my focus on a particular subject. It's better now and hope that I have no more lingering side effects.**

 **Now I off to start working on The Broken Road (yes, it's been forever), so please hang on and hopefully, I can get something posted around Christmas. I know I said that LAST year but this time, I really mean it. I do. Swear.**

 **Semper Fi**

 **JS**


End file.
